flags up for Regatta

The 13th BRC Students’ Rowing Championship 2014, in association with The Telegraph, was declared open by chief guest Maj. Gen. Harsha Kakar (centre, interacting with students), Chief of Staff, Bengal Area, at the Bengal Rowing Club lawns on Sunday. The teams hoisted their school flags and geared up for the heats starting Tuesday. Olympian Swaran Singh Virk (top), gold medallist at the 15th Asian Rowing Championship in China last year, took a round of Rabindra Sarobar on a single scull before he was felicitated at the function. “The environment here is wonderful…. Honestly, I hadn’t expected to see such enthusiasm. Let’s hope we have a good and close competition this year,” Maj. Gen. Kakar said. Bengal Rowing Club president Santosh Kumar Rungta said: “We have nearly 31 schools and 245 students. It is a great start to the regatta.” Group Capt. Subodh Bhatnagar, the director of the Sports Authority of India’s eastern centre, and champion archer Rahul Banerjee were other prominent guests at the event.